Friday, 15 July 2016

As the founder of MOBE, I find myself juggling an awful lot of tasks and
projects from day to day. I am full of ideas and always motivated to
grow the company. I also love getting out there and meeting people that
have joined the business. The problem is, there are only so many hours
in the day to accomplish all these things—and I didn’t decide to start my own business so that I would have to work 24 hours a day. You
probably didn’t either.

Be like the Cat

So I’ve come up with a model for the ideal time management of a person that has their own small business: Be like the cat. Okay, I know
that might surprise you. After all, a cat doesn’t seem very productive
at first glance, but bear with me.

Look at your average housecat. It spends half the day and half the
night doing something it’s famous for: relaxing. Let’s say on average
your cat spends 16 hours just chilling out or sleeping. It spends the
rest of its time eating, washing, hunting, playing, and checking out its
territory.

If we take into consideration that sleeping and relaxing are the
cat’s favorite activities, then this is a very effective use of time! In
total, that’s about eight hours of wakefulness and productivity during
every 24-hour period. That’s about the same amount of time you probably
spent working as an employee.

Essentially, the cat spends the same amount of time working as most
of us do, but arguably a lot more time enjoying itself than the rest of
us.

Time management is all about deciding what you really want to be
doing with your time and then getting your necessary tasks done so that
you can spend more hours doing the things you enjoy. After all, that’s
part of the reason all of us become entrepreneurs—to get the maximum
benefit out of our working hours. Ideally, we needn’t work any more
hours in a day than our cats!

The Business Owner’s Time Trap

In an article discussing how to work smarter, not longer
when running your own business, Robert Craven of The Directors’ Centre
says, “Whether unintentionally or not, many of us don’t work as
efficiently as possible some or even most of the time.” He’s
specifically addressing business owners, since we have a tendency to
overwork ourselves and forget about things like food, breaks, and
sometimes even other human beings.

I’m a numbers guy, and a lot of you probably are too. So how does
better time management affect your bottom line? According to the Happy Planet Index,
feeling non-stressed and happy during work results in 31 percent high
productivity levels, and 37 percent more sales. The lesson I take from
this is that we all need to work smarter and more effectively, not
necessarily longer.

Final Thought

Try to dedicate a specific amount of time to your business each and
every day, and keep a clear list of goals to work on so you don’t waste
time. When you limit your working hours, you’ll discover that you stop
fiddling with unprofitable activities and focus on the money-making
activities instead. That’s the best way to work! If you need help with
administrative tasks, look into hiring an assistant or part-time worker to help you maximize those working hours.

When work is finished, remember to relax and focus your attention on
the things that make you relaxed and happy. Conversely, use your time at
work effectively.

So is your cat awake? Don’t let him think he’s the most efficient creature in the house. Go be productive!

Recommended

Matt Lloyd

Matt Lloyd is CEO and Founder of MOBE (My Online Business Education), an education company with over 750,000 subscribers, 165 staff and over 12,000 active affiliate partners. MOBE’s mission is to be the number 1 training resource in the world for small business owners and entrepreneurs. This is achieved through the company’s products, services, and live training events. To hear Matt Lloyd’s story, click here.